Bibliomania
by Labby01
Summary: More than one observer notices Penelope Clearwater exhibiting signs of bibliomania, the obsession of the collection of books. One observer tries to help her, while another may know the reasons why she is so obsessed with a certain Potions book.


Bibliomania

She walked through the village fiercely and strongly, as with purpose. Her long, curly hair wavered in the light of the day, as if she wanted to show off her elegance and poise. Her eyes stared in fervent anticipation, eager like only a teenage girl could be.

She moved through the crowded streets of town, as if sorting through a maze, focused on only what she wanted to buy. I had watched her partake in the same steps for months, only to come out with the same purchase from the same store.

I followed her cautiously as she entered her favourite store, Florish and Blotts. She took a sharp right and raced through the long shelves of books, each section a magnificent resource of information, but there was only one that she was worried about. It was not too far away, as it was a relatively common book for an advanced Potions student at Hogwarts, and she soon found herself standing in front of the towering, broken-down bookcase once again.

She placed her hand through the row of books, and she felt the spine of each one, as if she knew how to determine which book she wanted just by the touch of its body. I couldn't help but to be reminded of a certain girl from my past who had acted that way. She went on to open up the pages and she placed her freckled nose against the typed text of the book. Marvelous… she smelled the darn book.

She closed _Advanced Potion-Making_ and found her way to the register to pay. I slipped out of the store and into the shadows, waiting to watch her actions as soon as she exited the store with her newly purchased book.

She probably had about a hundred copies of the Potions book already, but as soon as she stepped out of the bookstore, the fury-filled stride she had taken before died down. She had gotten what she came to get, and she was done. Everything with the world was okay - at least to her. I wish I could say the same for myself.

I followed slowly behind her as she walked across the street, finding a seat outside the ice cream parlour and catching her breath as she held the book enclosed tightly into her arms. She did not dare open the book because that was not her purpose. Instead, she stumbled onto the bench and took in the wretched feel of the summer air.

When she sat down, a black-haired boy observed from the distance, waiting to see if she would move. When he assured himself that she would not, he approached her. "Penny!" he shouted, his voice clear and distinct. "What are you doing?"

She had obviously not noticed him. As his deep voice proceeded out of nowhere, she jumped, startled by the sound. "Don't call me that!" she screamed, anger-filled in her tone. "I hate that nickname."

"Sorry, Penelope," he sang. His tall figure didn't stand straight as the breeze swung by, causing her hair to sway rather horridly through the air. "Did you get another book?" he asked, staring at the object that she cradled in her arms.

"Yes," she answered shortly. She kept her eyes focused away from his penetrating stare.

"What is it this time?" he leaned in forward to take a look at the book in her arms. She pulled back, seemingly upset by his intrusion.

"Some Muggle book," she answered simply, not giving away too many details. She always had the same book in her arms, and I guess she didn't want others to know about it. It was quite a weird obsession, so she kept it a secret. She simply did not reveal the plain truth. I don't think she liked the plain truth very much.

"Oh." He was not interested in the book. He never was. But for some reason he was interested in her, even if he did not understand her. That nuisance of a boy never left her alone. "Well, do you want to get something to eat? I know I'm starving."

"No thanks," she retorted, swinging her legs back and forth as he took a seat next to her. He never seemed to take the hint. He was persistent - that was for sure. Madly persistent.

"Can I buy you some ice cream?" he then asked, as she clenched her jaw and tapped her left foot on the battered path quite rapidly.

"No thanks," she repeated.

He sighed, but she did not seem to notice. She didn't notice how hard he was trying and how hard he had been trying for weeks. She was lost in her own world, oblivious to the motions around her, much like he was oblivious to her signs of disinterest.

"Okay, I'm just going to get right to the point." His tone swaggered, nervousness apparent in his speech. "I like you. You're cute. We'd make a great couple. Can't we try?"

"What are you talking about?" she asked, stunned at his speech. It was quite abrupt. She obviously had not noticed his romantic intentions. The Ravenclaw was not too perceptive. "Who are you anyways?"

"You're in my year," he announced. "We've had classes together. I've seen you around all summer and I've talked to you on most days. Don't you remember?"

"Oh crap," she suddenly said, her shoulders twitching and her body growing tense. It was obvious what she needed, but it's not like he would know it. "I have to go."

She stood, stunned and confused. Her frantic sayings did not make sense to many, but he did not want to give up. She had been his obsession all summer long, even if she did not know it. But I knew that he was studying her everyday. He had those lovesick puppy dog eyes of a boy in love with a girl he did not know well enough.

I knew that look just a bit too well.

She started walking… or rather frolicking, much like she had done before with passion and purpose. He tried desperately to keep up with her length stride, but his long, bony legs were not particularly exercised well enough to keep up with a girl of such intensity. He was a pathetic excuse for someone so bound in love. He could not even keep up with her.

She reached the bookstore not long afterwards, and within minutes she came out with another new book in her arms. He saw her and raced up to her, out of breath when he finally approached.

"Will you stop avoiding me please!" he ranted. "Enough with the damn bookstore! If you're not interested, just tell me."

"What's your name again?" she asked sweetly, her tone gentle and calm. She continued to walk towards her favourite spot at the ice cream parlour again.

"It's Trenton. Trenton Lewis. I've told you that about a million times," he practically screamed. He was obviously upset – the girl couldn't even remember his name. How pathetic.

I couldn't even understand his fascination, but then again, I had been there too. Love sometimes doesn't make much sense.

She didn't move or flinch or even become angry at his tone. "I don't think I'm interested," she answered as she sat down at the table once more. "Not today."

He sighed rather grudgingly and gave up for the day.

---

School started and the ordinary tasks began once again. Penelope began her fifth year and continued to rush to the library at all times to grab another copy of the book. During Hogsmeade weekends I noticed her lurking off to go to the bookstore to purchase another copy. Her urges for the Potions book never died down. If only she thought about her obsessions meant, but the clue didn't appear to be helping.

Penelope adapted quite well at hiding her newfound obsession. I don't know exactly what her excuses were, but her friends treated her just the same as always. They were even less perceptive than she was.

Trenton continued to bother her all the time. He approached her almost every day, asking her on dates, revealing his feelings, and annoying her to death. I even remember overhearing this one incident where he declared his love for her. She continued to act in her nonchalant manner, refusing to accept that he said anything at all to her. She stuck her finger in a piece of her hair and she twirled her hair as she turned away from his direction. That was her usual reaction to his persistence – simply ignoring him.

One day, right before her Potions class, he turned to her and asked her on a date again. He was ridiculously stupid in thinking that he could ever win her over.

But he persisted more than usual this time. She tried to walk away from him, but he stopped her. He shouted out her name, and he made sure that she listened, taking a hold of her hand to stop her from walking away. "Penelope, please listen to me," he begged. "I've been asking you since the summer, and you've just walked away from me. Tell me right now that you'll go on a date with me."

She stood motionless, stunned again by his bluntness. He was not particularly fierce in the way that he grabbed her, but he held her in a way that required her to answer. It was not the most brilliant of ways to convince her to date him. Bloody Gryffindor.

Luckily, Lewis's Gryffindor pal caught the action between the two. He came running to the scene, prefect badge aligned carefully on his red and yellow robes, red hair standing outlandishly out, like the rest of his annoying little brothers and naïve sister.

I waited for the clear, level-headed conversation that he would instigate. He was a peacemaker; not like those other brutish Gryffindors. He would settle everything.

Yet I was rather startled when I saw a fierce brow and anger ridden eyes appear across his face. He took one look at Lewis, pulled his wand out, and placed it between the boy's dark, frightened eyes. "Let go of her right now!" he said with the utmost intensity.

"I just asked her a question," Lewis shakily answered, as I adjusted my position to get a better glance at the exchange that was taking place.

"And you nearly frightened her to death," Percy exaggerated. "Let her go!"

I imagined Lewis to have let her go at that point, but I could not actually see the action take place. "Now go!"

My eyes turned away from the situation. I sat, focused again on my papers, pretending not to be ignorant of the situation. It was better that way. But I could feel the right corner of my lips beginning to curve upwards at that moment. That Weasley boy did something right for once. He might actually have been sorted correctly.

Lewis scurried away, his bony body shaking with fear in reaction to the least courageous of all Gryffindors. He must have realized that he was wrong to creep up on Penelope the way that he did.

"Thank you," I heard Penelope's clear voice react to the attack.

"You're quite welcome," the weasel responded somewhat shrewdly. "That guy never leaves you alone."

"He is rather annoying," Penelope answered. "He's been watching me since the summer. I've been trying to ignore him, but he doesn't seem to understand."

"I know," Percy answered. Percy was shocked as listened to himself say those words. "I mean-"

"You noticed?" Penelope questioned.

"I… well," Percy could not speak properly. Boy, just spit it out! "I may have seen you around a couple of days during the summer, and I may have noticed that that creep was stalking you."

"Percy Weasley!" Penelope was shocked. "Were you stalking me too?"

"I… uhh…," the boy stuttered as much as that damned Neville Longbottom. "I'm sorry?"

"It's okay," Penelope answered, leaning her body against the wall away from the Potions classroom. Percy remained distant, as if he was waiting to see Penelope's full reaction. "At least you didn't annoy me. The way you did it is actually kind of cute. But how did I suddenly get two stalkers?" I briefly chuckled at her sudden realization.

"I don't know about _him_, but I noticed this intensity in your eyes whenever you went after that book. It was almost like your life depended on it, and you needed to get it no matter what. Then, I just kept watching you…-," Percy cut off, like he was planning on saying something else, but decided against it. Instead, there was an awkward silence between the two.

Penelope kept quiet for a moment and then she answered, "You know about the book?"

"Yeah," Percy muttered. "Where do you keep them all?"

"I…well," Penelope started, "in my room."

"I know that it's only that one book," Percy then explained, "but do you really enjoy Potions that much?"

"No, I've actually never read the book," Penelope had more confidence in her answer, like she was warming up to Percy. "I just get these urges to go buy another copy."

"But you don't read it?" Percy was bemused. Finally, they were getting somewhere.

"No," Penelope answered.

"Now, don't you think that there's a reason behind your sudden urges to go purchase the book… perhaps someone wants you to read it?" Percy inquired. I was completely focused on their conversation, as I glared out of my dungeon room. I still could not see Penelope, but I stared at Percy.

"I… well," Penelope muttered, "maybe." Did children not know how to speak properly anymore?

"When did the urges start?" Percy always asked all of the right questions.

"Around the beginning of the summer," Penelope explained. "I don't see how that's relevant."

"Are you a good Potions student?" Percy continued to question.

"Oh, crap," Penelope soon shouted. "I think I need to go."

"Why don't you ever look the book?" Percy asked, holding up a copy of, _Advanced Potion-Making_, that Penelope had a million copies of.

"I have to get it! I have to get another copy."

"Just open it," Percy demanded as he held it out for her.

Her eyes shifted to the familiar book with an un-blinking intensity. She grabbed it out of Weasley's freckled hands, opened it up to the first page, and began to read.

I smiled briefly, satisfied that she had finally taken the hint.

"Snape told me something about how I can be a perfect Potions student, if I only study more," Penelope revealed, as she glanced through the pages. "I don't mind studying, but I just don't get that class. I can't keep my eyes concentrated on the pages of the beginner book for more than a couple of minutes."

"Do you think?..." Percy started to say. "I mean, he is a greasy git, but could he possibly?..."

As he was talking, I held out my wand, flicked it in two directions and muttered some words. She finally learned, even if it took a bloody Gryffindor to show her.

"Wait… I don't think I have the urge anymore," she suddenly shouted. "I… I'm free!"

"Snape?" Percy asked.

"Snape," Penelope concluded.

I muttered a spell once more, so that the chattering of little children went away. I continued to read through the bloody awful first year papers, as I realized that I had mastered a small accomplishment. Dumbledore told me that Penelope would need to be a Potions master in time for the final battle and now she would, eventually. She would learn enough to help her earn an O.W.L. in the class and she would succeed.


End file.
